One Bad Mother

Biz and Theresa are looking for a last minute miracle! “Parent! It's crazy dress like a historical figure pajama day today. What can I wear?” “Parent! I’m going on a field trip today! Here is my permission slip…oh and I need a lunch in a paper sack.” “Parent! My teacher said they emailed you many times to order my class shirt. Did you do it? I have to wear it today.” Do we let them suffer through...

Turn on your nightlight, listeners! Biz is joined again by her sister, Helen Michelle, to talk about family superstations and prophetic dreams. You can follow Helen Michelle on Twitter  @WhatIDoAllDay . Her book  American Housewife  is out now.

Biz and Theresa explore the horrors of being dragged to our personal hells! Like many good terrifying classics, sometimes the only way to get out of the things we dread is to go through them….which may be the best description of parenting ever. Plus Biz went home, Theresa is recovering and we talk to R.L. Stine about scaring kids! Follow R.L. Stine on Twitter  @RL_Stine  or visit his website at  R...

Biz and Theresa discuss the line between performer and parent. When our kids respond to one of our jokes like it's Shakespeare, it feels really good! Is this rewarding feeling just the performer coming out in us or is it something else? It's probably “something else” and it's debatably unhealthy, but the show must go on! Plus Biz has something new to love, Theresa likes Halloween this year and we...

Biz and Theresa clarify for the record that no, we can’t read minds! Sadly, our kids refuse to believe it. Being blamed for not being able to predict what kids want is frustrating and helping kids navigate their disappointment is unrewarding. If only our kids were the mind readers! Wait, then they’d know parents don’t always love being parents. Plus Biz juggles plates, Theresa has an announcement...

Biz and Theresa explore how we feel when our kids get hurt. From the guilt we feel to the temptation to judge others, there is nothing like a boo boo to make you feel bad bad. Plus Biz is getting Katy Belle’s message loud and clear, Theresa is maxed out, and we kick off a month of Halloween fun with Michael Leviton, co-author of  My First Ghost . You can find more from Michael Leviton on Twitter ...

Just like parenting is different for everyone, this show is going to be different! Biz and Theresa dis the usual format to talk fostering for the entire episode. First we talk with Kevin and Kelly, a couple who are just beginning the fostering process, then we speak with Abby, who has already fostered. Finally we have Adrianne Jubilee from the Center for Adoption Support and Education. Find out mo...

Biz and Theresa wonder if we make better decisions for ourselves now that we are parents. Do our choices get more thoughtful? Or are we more likely to make rushed in-the-moment decisions? Biz’s haircut says “in the moment” and suggests that might not be a good decision making process for her. Plus Biz is crossing her words, Theresa compliments a fellow OBM, and we talk to Dr. Krista Lauer about LI...

Biz and Theresa ponder the often tossed around phrase “You’ll miss these years when they are gone!” We wonder, how helpful is that really? Signs point to “less helpful” as we discuss how dismissive it is of our present difficulties. Is anyone suggesting that by forcing ourselves to find every moment magical or by never acknowledging how hard parenting is, that we will somehow get to skip the heart...

Biz and Theresa stand aside to bask in the glory of your genius moments and failures…and rants. The spectaculars stand as a reminder to how important it is to know that we are all doing great and we are all doing terrible! Check out our book!  You're Doing A Great Job!: 100 Ways You're Winning at Parenting! Thank you to all our listeners who support the show as  monthly members of MaximumFun.org ....

Biz and Theresa discuss the power of the phrase “calm down.” Yes, we want our kids to calm down, but why does it trigger gross feelings from our own childhoods? Is it just the easiest thing to say when kids are too loud or too hyped or too upset? Yes. It is. Plus Biz gets a compliment, Theresa does do nights, and we talk to Debra Hauser with Advocates For Youth about the future of sex education an...

Biz and Theresa realize maybe we have never left “the forest” and that the forest has been tricking us this whole time into believing it's a nice place! We look at the sometimes insane and always exhausting techniques that we implement in order to get our kids to do things. As we jump though hoops everyday to get our kids to function, we can't help but wonder, "Is this just my life now?" and “Is i...

Biz and Theresa take a look at the highs and lows of lemonade stands and other childhood financial endeavors. The first clue that a child might not understand monetary value is when they want to charge $100 for a rock. On the one hand, we want to encourage creativity and foster an understanding of money and business in our kids. On the other hand, we will probably spend the whole day manning the l...

Biz and Theresa unpack their emotional baggage around actual packing. When did going on a three day trip turn into packing for an expedition to the Amazon? The amount of stuff we absolutely need to bring with us weighs heavy on the soul, not to mention the airplane baggage limit. Plus Biz returns from the Midwest, Theresa fills her mind, and we talk to Jessica Love about her new picture book,  Jul...

Biz and Theresa wonder what is up with pirates? Real pirates are known for theft and murder, but every other kid has a pirate costume. (And, let's face it, they're adorable.) From swordplay to walking the plank...I guess we're all culturally cool with our kids admiring and identifying with this one particular violent and morally-corrupt lifestyle. LOL! But yeah honestly we're fine with it, guys. G...

Biz and Theresa explore the complicated nature of receiving gifts from our children, from edible treats to physical affection to artistic renderings. How do we celebrate these occasionally misguided and even off-putting but nonetheless heartfelt gifts without sacrificing...oh, I don't know, our human dignity? HA! Are we really required to eat the thing that the 4 year old is calling "pancakes?" Pl...

Biz and Theresa talk about how it feels when our kids express their feelings or needs in an unkind manner. “I hate forks!” “AHHHH! I put the shirt on before underpants!” “My day is ruined! You are ruining my day!” Helping our kids navigate their emotions and teaching them to speak their needs kindly is important, but also tiring. When you add to it the emotional pummeling of being yelled at by a f...

Biz’s four-year-old still eats only a handful of things and Theresa’s four-year-old still has sleep problems. We've treated these issues as though they'll inevitably resolve on their own over time, but two years later we're beginning to wonder if maybe our kids won’t, in fact, “grow out of it.” (Insert horror music!) Plus, Biz is back from Bama, Theresa  remembers that toddlers are hard, and we ta...

Biz and Theresa are live from Chicago! This is the second of two episodes recorded in May at GMan Tavern. Chicago Tribune lifestyle writer Heidi Stevens joins us to talk about interrupting and help us try to figure out how to teach our kids not to interrupt. Since that probably won’t happen, we may as well just go ahead and never try to have a normal adult conversation again. Problem solved! Plus,...

Biz and Theresa explore the results of the most dangerous fruit. Are some words better to use when describing flatulence? How can we help our kids navigate what is acceptable and what isn’t when it comes to passing gas, especially when the biggest challenge is how hilarious it is? Plus Biz is crazy in Alabama, Theresa wrote a book, and we talk to Doree Shafrir and Kate Spencer from the Forever 35...

This week on One Bad Mother, Biz and Theresa dive into the good and bad memories of swimming as kids and look at how those experiences play into what we want for our kids. Should we throw them in, or respect their complete fear of wet hair? What if they aren't the water babies we'd hoped they'd be? What if they never know the joy of Marco Polo or Martha Washington hairstyles? Plus Biz is hosting p...

Biz and Theresa explore our desire to prove to others that we’re doing enough as parents. Regardless of what we’re going through with our kids, when someone tries to be helpful by saying, “Have you tried...xyz?” it can leave us feeling like all our efforts are invisible. So...that’s a thing! Plus, Biz wonders “Who those people are?,” Theresa has been shocked, and we speak with author Rumaan Alam a...

It's the 9th Ever Genius Fail Spectacular, Plus Rants! Biz and Theresa sit back and bask in the glory of your genius moments and failures and remember that none of us are alone! Check out our book!  You're Doing A Great Job!: 100 Ways You're Winning at Parenting! Thank you to all our listeners who support the show as  monthly members of MaximumFun.org . Our sponsors this week are  Prep Dish  and ...

Biz and Theresa wonder what "nagging" really is. Do we just want to keep our kids happy and comfortable or is “nagging” just another word used to belittle women? We know that developmentally kids need help remembering what they need, from keeping hands clean to dressing for the weather to staying safe. But at what point do we need to let go and hope they learn on their own from experiencing discom...

Biz and Theresa are live from the GMan Tavern in Chicago with special guest comic creator Lucy Knisley, and we want to know what makes a bad influence. Rock 'n' Roll? Video Games? That one kid with the sailor mouth? Captain Underpants? Do we ban it all to make life easier or is this really about us wanting to get rid of something we find annoying rather than dangerous. Whichever it is, we should d...